Book-lock



UNITED STATES FATENT FFICE.

JNO. L. WHE'ISTONE, OF CINCINNATI, OEAIIO.

DOOR-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 4,640, dated July 20, 1846.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JOHN L. WHnTsToNE, of the city of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful improvements in the manner of constructing a lock for the doors of bank, vaults, safes, and other places where special security is required, which lock I denominate the safety combinationlock; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

In my combination lock, I adopt the well known principle of permutation, there being any desired number of movable bits to the key which are to act upon a corresponding number of tumblers which slide up and down vertically within the lock.

A principal improvement in my manner of constructing the safety lock consists in my so arranging and combining the tumblers, and the bits of the key, as that the tumblers may either be raised or drawn down, or in part raised and in part 'drawn down by the action of said bits.

The box of my lock I divide into two separate chambers by inserting a partition plate of the same width and length with the cap plate, midway between the cap plate and the face plate of the box; thus forming what may be denominated the anterior and posterior chambers. When the key is inserted for the purpose of moving the bolt, it is passed first into the anterior chamber and is then turned partially around, until it arrives at a proper opening through the division plate, when it is made to enter the posterior chamber and to operatev on the bolt.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a direct view of the anterior chamber, the cap plate being removed for the purpose of showing the parts immediately within it. Fig. 2 is a view of the posterior chamber the division plate being in like manner removed for the purpose of showing the parts beyond it. Fig. 3 is a section through the lock in the line 0c of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a revolving escutcheon placed between the cap-plate and Idivisionplate of the lock; Fig. 5 shows the lower part of the barrel and bits of the key, and Fig. 6 is a representation of the underside of one of two bolts which may be combined with my lock; these bolts are shown in part in Fig. l; these are so arranged, that when the lock bolt is retracted'.

In Figs. l and 3, A A is the partitiony designated by the dotted lines a a; and it` is upon this plate that the keyoperates through the intermedium of the escutcheon in a manner to be presently explained. The key is made to enter through a hole in the cap plate in the usual manner being received within the box E E of the escutcheon Gr Figs. 3 and l which box it fits closely.

F F are openings through the division plate, through one of which the movable bits of the key must bel passed when the bolt is to be shot in or out kthe arm H of the key remaining above the division plate to operate on the plate C, while the movable bits operate on the tumblers I I in the posterior chamber; I have shown live bits and tumblers only, but in the best locks I may use ten or twelve. The curved dotted lines b Fig. l show an opening in the di- Vision plate terminating in the opening, F F and allowing the part o of the bit of the key to pass around.

J .I J J are levers that are borne up against the edges of the tumblers by suitable springs there being one above and one below each of the tumblers; these levers are stopped against the studs d CZ; by this arrangement the tumblers may be either raised or drawn down by the key they moving with equal freedom in either direction.

K K K K are stumps which venter the racking e e e in the tumblers.

K is the rack stump which is made fast to the lock bolt, and is to pass through the.

horizontal racking when the bolt is moved; the screw g in the plate C passes into this stump. The stump K is shown as so situated that the outer tumbler must be depressed to enable the stump to pass through the horizontal racking from e to e; but if this tumbler was inverted, and its ends reversed, so as to allow what is now its rear protruded they cannot be withdrawn until i end to become its forward end, it would have to be raised to enable the stump to pass through the horizontal` racking in e; and so of either of the tumblers. When the tumblers are to be raised, the movable bits, f, g, L, z' and j of the key act upon the curve la, Z, m of said tumblers; when` they` are to be drawn down, the bits are made to operate onthe curve n, 0,22.

The tumblers I usually make precisely alike inlthe curves on which the bits are to act, the horizontal racking alone being varied; this however is not absolutely neces sary as the curves may be varied and the bits be adapted tothem, should it: be preferred without altering the principle of action. I placewashers r r between the tumblers toseparate them from each other and to lessen the friction; there is no danger however of the adhering of the tumblers toeach other, as in some other combination locks, the levers J always restoring them to their proper place.

The bridge plate D D stands at such distance from the divisionplate as is necessary toallow the arm H of the keyto pass between them, and the slot s through the parities of the box E of the escutcheon receive the bridge plate as the key is turned round. The whole of the escutcheon is contained between the cap-and division plates excepting a projecting fillet z5I Fig. 3which passes into the circular opening that surrounds the barrel of the key, and the drill pin L, thus serving to guide it as it revolves. The fillet u` Fig. 4, is received, for like purpose, by the curved segment o on the division plate. I intend to make the plate G ofthe escutcheon of steel or of case hardenediron to prevent its being drilled through. The cap plate M I intendto protect in a like way. The bits of the key, and the respective tumblers are to be duly numbered or lettered yso as to show' their correspondence, and to guide in arranging them. The bits have square holes through them, are received upon a square pin, and are secured to the key in the usual way.

The operation of this lock is as follows: When the key has been inserted it is turned around upon the drill pin, and carries the escutcheon with it until it is opposite one of the openings F through the division plate; s the bits are then passed through said opening until the arm I-I bears upon the division ,plate; the bits will now be in the posterior ber, and as the key is turned they will te upon the tumbler-s, either to raise ress them, as may be desired, while the anterior chamber operates ar, or plate C,-the arm passing ""d eand the division plate; be shot in or out as the nd of the box E, and

. plate.

to contact with it.

The key is to be withdrawn through the corresponding opening F into the anterior `chamber and is turned round therein until it arrives opposite to the keyhole in the cap The double racking not only allows of the reversing `of the tumblers but affords additional security in another way. The

' guide stump I beingplaced as hereinrepresented, itis evident that if in attempting to open the lock, an undue" pressure will be made 'upon the bolt, and the tumbler be moved improperly it may become fast ufpon the stump K instead of K', and thus `e ec tually arrest all further proceeding. The probability` of this occurrence isvery great, as it will not be possible to ascertain whether the tumbler is to be raised or` depressed, as they are eachcapable of both actions.

On account of the incasement of therkey hole in the escutcheon no more instruments can be introduced than will enter a space of the size of the key hole, for in order to get at the tumblers the escutcheon must. be turned thus shutting up the key hole with the exception of the annular space occupied by the barrel of the key. It will be seen moreover that when the escutcheonis turned into the position to act upon the plate C, the instruments would be brought into the circular opening b b b, the narrowness ofi which is such as to forbid asmuch motion upward or downward as some of the tumblers would N and O Fig. l are two bolts, which may be shot up and down by meansof a knobbed handle operating on the pinion P. When these are used they are so arrangedcas that they cannot be retracted until the lock` bolt -h as been turned back, the projecting piece Q on the underside (Fig. -6) of the bolt Nbeing in contact with the lower edgeof the plate lC and serving as an eiectual stop to` such withdrawal.

Having thus fully described the manner in which I construct my lock, and shown the operation thereof, what" I claim therein as new and desire to secure by `Letters, Patent, is,

l. The manner in which I have arranged s s arranged and combined the revolving eseutohdivision plate for the purpose, and in the eon, and the bridge plate, the boX E of manner set forth. the escuteheon being adapted to the arm of the key, and to the bridge plate in such Inan- JOHN L' WHETSTONE ner as that by the aid of the slot or opening s Witnesses:

in said box, the arm of the key is allowed GEORGE MGGREGOR,

to pass between the bridge plate and the WM. GLENN. 

